Conventional shipping containers for laboratory animals generally have an elongate rectangular configuration. Ventilated walls are provided for example at the top, at least one end and both sides of the container. A disadvantage of this conventional configuration is that adequate air ventilation may be cut off when the shipping containers are stacked and packed with close packing density.
Such shipping containers are generally partitioned into separate compartments. Another disadvantage of the conventional configuration is that controlled access limited to a single compartment at a time for loading and unloading the compartment is inconvenient or may not be possible. Arrangements must also be made in the case of small laboratory animal rodents to assure that the shipping containers are rodent proof.